Covered hopper car end frame construction



Jan. 20, 1970 s. P. HAL-COMB COVERED HOPPER CAR END FRAME CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 22, 1967 iNVENTOR SAMUEL P;

ATTORNEY Jan. 20, 1970 s. P. HALCO MB 3,490,387

COVERED HOPPER CAR END FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 22, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 20, 1970 s. P. HALCOMB COVERED HOPPER CAR END FRAME CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 22, 1967 Jan. 20, 1970 s. P. HALCOMB COVERED HOPPER GAR END FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 22, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan. 20, 1970 s. P. HALCOMB COVERED HOPPER CAR END FRAME CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet -5 Filed Sept. 22, 1967 Pm mOEm United States Patent M 3,490,387 COVERED HOPPER CAR END FRAME CONSTRUCTION Samuel P. Halcomb, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to ACE Industries, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 669,847 Int. Cl. B61d 7/00, 17/06 US. Cl. 105-248 6 Claims ABSTRAC'I OF THE DISCLOSURE An end construction for a covered hopper car having arcuate side sheets and stub center sills in which a pair of converging diagonal end struts extend in a general vertical plane closely adjacent the end sill between an upper end bulkhead and the associated stub center sill. The moment generated by impact forces which tend to rotate the end of the car downwardly is reacted by a couple. The couple comprises a compressive force in the upper bolster web and an equal tensile force in the diagonal end struts. The diagonal end struts constitute substantially the sole tension carrying members for reacting the moment and transmitting tensile forces between the associated stub center sill and the upper end bulkhead, and the upper bolster web constitutes substantially the sole compression member for reacting the moment, thereby providing a statically determinate structure in which the forces in such members may be easily calculated for impact and squeeze loadings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION US. Patent No. 3,339,499, issued Sept. 5, 1967, discloses a covered hopper railway car having a somewhat different end structure. The diagonal end struts or gussets shown in the covered hopper railway car in this patent are secured along their inner edges to the inclined end slope sheet and the upper bolster web to act in a manner similar to a torsion structure for reacting any moment. Thus, the moment from impact and squeeze forces is reacted by statically indeterminate forces in the upper end bulkhead, upper bolster web, end slope sheet, and diagonal struts which form the prior art end structures. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to calculate with any degree of accuracy the reaction forces for the load carrying members under various applied loads.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a structure in which the forces may be easily determined. The moment generated by impact forces is reacted by a couple formed from a compressive force in the upper bolster web and an equal tensile force in the diagonal struts. As the tensile and compressive forces may be easily determined for a given impact loading, an economical design of the load carrying members is easily provided. Thus, a simplified end construction is provided by the present design with the overhanging end portion efliciently utilized as a load carrying member and having a stub center sill structure of minimum length to provide a lightweight end construction.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevation of the covered hopper railway car comprising the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation of the covered hopper railway car shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

Patented Jan. 20, 1970 FIGURE 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the end construction of the covered hopper railway car;

FIGURE 5 is a section taken generally along line 5-5 of FIGURE 1 and showing the reinforced upper bolster web;

FIGURE 6 is a section taken generally along line 6-6 of FIGURE 5 and showing the bolster structure;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragment of FIGURE 2 i1- lustrating the attachment of a diagonal strut member to the upper end bulkhead;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of the attachment shown in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a schematic of the primary load carrying member for transmitting forces upon impact or buff loadings exerted against the coupler and indicating the reaction of the load carrying members of the present end construction;

FIGURE 10 is a schematic illustrating the couple exerted by the impact forces for computation of the forces generated by the couple; and

FIGURE 11 is a schematic of the primary load carrying members in a prior art construction.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of this application.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of this invention, a covered hopper railway car is indicated generally at 10. A wheel assembly 12 is provided at each end of car 10. The car body includes a pair of arcuate side sheets 14 struck from a generally constant radius having a center at a substantial distance outside the confines of the car. A radius between around one hundred sixty and one hundred ninety-five inches has been found to be satisfactory for a railway car having a width of around ten and one-half (10 /2) feet. Arcuate side sheets 14 are generally smooth and do not have any external vertical reinforcements. A side sill 16 is secured along the lower marginal portion of each side sheet 14. A top chord or side plate member 18 is secured along the upper marginal portion of each side sheet 14. An arcuate roof sheet 20 is welded between the top chord members 18. Hatch covers 22 are mounted over suitable openings in the roof sheeet 20 for loading the railway car.

Intermediate hopper slope sheets 24 are secured between side sheets 14 and form hoppers with side sheets 14- and partitions 26. To discharge ladings from the car, a suitable bottom discharge outlet generally indicated 28 is positioned beneath the bottom discharge opening of each hopper and a movable gate may be opened and closed by a pinion shaft indicated at 30 for the unloading of ladings from the hopper.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURES 4-8 and showing the end structure comprising the present invention, anend stub center sill 32 receives a draft gear and coupler structure 34. A rear draft stop 36 secured to the mner surface of stub center sill 32 abuts the rear end of draft gear and coupler structure 34 and transmits forces to the stub center sill from draft gear and coupler structure 34 upon buff and impact loads exerted against the coupler. The bolster assembly generally designated 38 is secured by welding to stub center sill 32 and includes a lower cover plate 40, a center plate 42 mounted thereon, a vertical web 44 extending upwardly therefrom, and an upper cover plate 46 over web 44 and extending generally horizontally to the end of the car. An upper bolster web generally indicated 48 is welded along its lower edges to upper cover plate 46 and along its upper edge to an end slope or floor sheet 50. Bolster web 48 is secured along its lateral edges by welding to adjacent side sheets 14. Spaced along the outer face of bolster web 48 are vertically extending channel-shaped reinforcements 52, 54 which extend from upper cover plate 46 to end slope sheets 50. Spaced along the inner face of upper bolster web 48 are corresponding vertical reinforcing members 52A and 54A. Along each side of bolster web 48 on its inner face is a separate channel-shaped reinforcement 56.

End slope sheets 50 extends from the associated outlet structure 28 to an upper end bulkhead 58 which is integrally connected thereto. A stiffener 60 reinforces slope sheet 50 between bulkhead 58 and bolster web 48. An end sill 62 extends transversely of the car at each end thereof between side sills 16. Corner posts 64 extend vertically from end sill 62 to the upper end of the car and a connecting cross member 66 is secured between corner posts 64 to form an end frame for the end of the car.

A pair of diagonal strut members 68 extend between upper end bulkhead 58 and the associated stub center sill 32 for transmitting loads therebetween. Referring to FIGURES 7 and 8, a reinforcing pad or plate 70 is welded to upper end bulkhead 58 and the adjacent portion of end slope sheet 50. Side reinforcing plates 72 are secured by welding to plate 70 and diagonal strut member 68. The lower ends of diagonal strut members 68 are secured by Welding to upper cover plate 46 at a position over stub sill 32 and cover plate 46 is welded to stub center sill 32. If desired, diagonal strut members 68 could be secured directly to stub center sill 32 instead of cover plate 46. Diagonal strut members 68 have their upper ends secured generally at the junctures of end bulkhead 58 and slope sheet 50 adjacent side plates 18, and extend in a generally vertical plane in convergent relation to the associated stub sill 32 at an angle A of around 6740 with respect to the horizontal as indicated in FIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURE 9, the load paths of the forces upon impact loads being exerted against coupler 34 are shown schematically. A moment arm M of around six (6) inches exists between the center line of the coupler and upper cover plate 46 and this eccentricity tends to rotate the end of the car and stub center sill 32 downwardly upon the exertion of impact forces against the car. The moment is reacted by a couple formed by a compressive force in upper bolster web 48 and a tensile force in diagonal strut members 68.

It has been found from extensive testing of a prototype car having the improved end structure that the compressive force in upper bolster web 48 is generally equal to the tensile force in diagonal strut members 68 with the diagonal strut members 68 forming substantially the sole tension carrying members and the upper bolster web 48 forming substantially the sole compressive member upon impact forces being exerted against the car. The tensile forces in diagonal strut members 68 are reacted by end bulkhead 58, and thence to side sheets 14 and upper side plates 18.

As a specific example employing results obtained from testing a prototype car, four strain gages on diagonal strut members 68 indicated an average stress of 19,500 p.s.i. from an impact loading of 1,209,000 pounds. Strut members 68 had a cross-sectional area of 3.82 square inches which resulted in a tensile force of around 74,000 pounds (3.82 19,500) obtained from the test results.

A tensile force of 75,200 pounds was calculated for diagonal strut members 68 under an impact load of 1,209,000 pounds. Thus, the calculated tensile force of 75,200 pounds was very close to the actual test result of 74,000 pounds which indicates the diagonal strut members 68 form substantially the sole tension carrying members. In computing this force, distance D between the centerline of upper bolster web 48 and the centerline of diagonal strut members 68 was fifty-two (52) inches and moment arm M was six (6) inches. Coupler force P acting against rear gear stop 36 was 1,209,000 pounds. The formula for the vertical component F, of the tensile forces in diagonal strut member 68 is:

=75,000 pounds Bolster web 48 comprises substantially the sole compression member between side sheets 14 and stub sill 32 for reacting the moment and would necessarily be equal in amount to the tensile forces in diagonal strut members 68 since the force system is in equilibrium.

By having an end structure in which diagonal strut members 68 comprise substantially the entire tension carrying member and bolster web 48 comprises substantially the entire compressive carrying member for reacting the moment generated by impact forces, such forces in the load carrying members can be computed accurately under substantially all conditions of impact and squeeze loadings. This eliminates any over design which was characteristic in such end constructions heretoforce as the forces for reacting the moment generated by the impact forces were generally statically indeterminate and the forces were dissipated through an end structure in which the tension members and compression members were integrally attached to each other. As noted particularly in FIGURE 4, the inner end of stub sill 32 is spaced from end slope sheet 50 a substantial distance R which is around three (3) feet. Upper bolster cover plate 46 terminates at upper bolster web 48. Thus, the present invention provides a lightweight and economical end construction in which the load carrying members are more efficiently utilized than heretofore.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results obtained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A covered hopper railway car comprising a separate stub center sill structure adjacent each end of the car, an arcuate side sheet on each side of the car, a side sill secured along the outer surface of the lower portion of each side sheet, a top chord member secured along the upper portion of each side sheet and extending in a direction longitudinally of the car, a roof secured between the top chord members, an end sill at each end of the car extending transversely of the car between the side sills and over the adjacent stub center sill structure, a plurality of hoppers spaced at intervals along the length of the car, a bottom hopper outlet structure for each hopper positioned centrally of the width of the car, a bolster assembly at each end of the car secured to the adjacent stub center sill structure and including a gen erally horizontally extending bolster upper cover plate over the subjacent center sill structure extending between and secured to the side sills, an end slope sheet for each end hopper extending upwardly from its associated bottom outlet structure inwardly of the inner end of the adjacent stub center sill structure toward the end of the car to provide each end hopper with an overhanging hopper portion, a vertically extending upper bolster web secured between the bolster upper cover plate and said end slope sheet and extending transversely of the car between said side sheets and said side sills, said bolster web being secured along its lateral edges to said side sills and said side sheets, an end bulkhead extending vertically from said end slope sheet to said roof and secured between the top chord members, and a pair of transversely aligned external load carrying members at each end of the car having upper ends secured to the end bulkhead generally adjacent said top chord mem bers and extending in a generally verticle plane in converging relation from said upper ends to the associated stub center sill structure, said pair of load carrying members constituting the tension carrying members for reacting a moment tending to rotate the outer end of the stub center sill structure downwardly upon impact forces being exerted against the railway car and said upper bolster web constituting the compression carrying member for reacting said moment whereby said pair of load carrying members and said upper bolster web form a couple for reacting the moment.

2. A covered hopper railway car as set forth in claim 1 wherein said stub center sill is spaced from the adjacent end slope sheet a horizontal distance of at least one foot.

3. A covered hopper railway car as set forth in claim 13 wherein said upper boster web has a plurality of spaced, vertically extending reinforcements on each face thereof.

4. In a covered hopper railway car having a separate stub center sill structure adjacent each end of the car, an arcuate side sheet on each side of the car struck from a radius having its center at a substantial distance outside the confides of the car and being without any separate external vertical reinforcing members, a side sill secured along the outer surface of the lower marginal portion of each side sheet, a top chord member secured along the upper marginal portion of each side sheet and extending in a direction longitudinally of the car, a roof secured between the top chord members, an end sill at each end of the car extending transversely of the car between the side sills and over the adjacent stub center sill structure, a plurality of hoppers spaced at intervals along the length of the car, and a bottom hopper outlet structure for each hopper positioned centrally. of the width of the car; the improvement comprising a bolster assembly at each end of the car secured to the adjacent stub center sill structure and including a generally horizontally extending upper cover plate over the subjacent center sill structure extending between and secured to the side sills, an end slope sheet for each end hopper extending upwardly from its associated bottom outlet structure inwardly of the inner end of the adjacent stub center sill structure to the end of the car at a position generally over the end sill to provide each end hopper with an overhanging hopper portion, a vertically extending upper bolster web secured between the bolster upper plate and said end slope sheet and extending transversely of the car between said side sheets and said side sills, said bolster web being secured along its laterial edges to said side sills and said side sheets, an upper end bulkhead extending vertically from said end slope sheet to said roof and secured between the top chord members generally in vertical alignment with the associated end sill, and a pair of transversely aligned diagonal strut members at each end of the car having upper ends secured to the upper end bulkhead generally adjacent said top chord members and extending in a vertical plane in converging relation relation from said upper ends to the essential stub center sill structure, said diagonal strut member constituting the tension carrying members for reacting a moment tending to rotate the outer end of the stub center sill structure downwardly upon impact forces being exerted against the railway car and said upper bolster web constituting the compression carrying member for reacting said moment whereby said pair of diagonal strut members and said upper bolster web form a couple for reacting the moment.

5. In a covered hopper railway car as set forth in claim 4, said stub center sill being spaced from the adjacent end slope sheet a horizontal distance of at least one foot.

6. In a covered hopper railway car as set forth in claim 4, said upper bolster web having a plurality of spaced vertically extending reinforcements on each face thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 670,614 3/1901 King et a1 --247 700,767 5/1902 Hart 105250 1,123,655 1/1915 AttWood 105250 1,182,642 5/1916 Clark 105253 1,400,867 12/1921 Campbell 105274 1,688,133 10/1928 Bonsall 105410 3,339,499 9/1967 Charles et al. 105248 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner HOWARD BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 105406, 417, 418, 420, 421; 2l357 P0405" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3, 9 ,3 7 Dated 20: 9

Inventorba) Samuel P. Halcomb It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below;

Column 5, line 17, for "13" read l for hoster" read bolster Column 6, line 1, after 'upper (second occurrence) insert line 13, delete "relation" (second occurrence) cover line 1 1-, for essential" read associated SIGNED AN SEALED JUN 2 31970 em) .Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, 11" WIEIIIAM E. 'SUH'UYIIER, JR- Anesfing Officer Commissioner of Patents 

